The invention relates generally to herbal drinks.
Traditional medicine often incorporates a variety of herbal remedies to treat or prevent a variety of ailments. Ginseng, St. John""s Wort, and Chinese Angelica are three examples of herbs which have been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments. Chinese Angelica (Angelica sinensis), for example, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a menstrual cycle balancer for treating all menstrual disturbances including menstrual pain. In addition to treating particular ailments, many herbs are consumed to help promote vitality and good health. Chinese Angelica, for example, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a primary female tonic having nutritive and restorative effect.
Herbal remedies may be administered in a variety of forms. Certain herbs can be consumed whole as a food ingredient. Herbs such as Ginseng and Licorice root are often made into tea. Increasingly, herbs are consumed as dried powders or liquid extracts. Powdered herbs are often sold in the form of capsules or pills, while liquid extracts are often sold as tinctures and tonics. Herbal extracts can be made by extraction of the herb with either aqueous or alcohol solutions. Since any herb will contain a variety of different chemical compounds, different extraction techniques will result in extracts having different chemical compositions. Aqueous extraction techniques are more effective in extracting hydrophilic (i.e. water soluble) compounds rather than hydrophobic (i.e. non-water soluble) compounds from herbs. Conversely, alcohol extraction techniques are generally better able to extract hydrophobic compounds. Therefore, an aqueous extract of a particular herb may have a very different chemical composition than an alcohol extract of the same herb. Since a particular herb may have a variety of different chemical compounds which have a medicinal effect, the more active compounds the extract has, the more effective the extract may be. This is particularly true if the extract is to be used as a tonic, since tonics are taken to provide multiple medical and quasi-medical benefits. Unfortunately, presently available extracts of Chinese Angelica are not as effective as possible because they lack some of beneficial compounds found in the fresh herb.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved herbal extract for use as a tonic comprising an aqueous suspension of the fermentation products of Chinese Angelica.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an herbal extract comprising the steps of combining a quantity of Chinese Angelica with a quantity of water and a quantity of active yeast followed by fermenting the Chinese Angelica.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention.